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CHAPTER FOURTEEN
ATHIN,hazy mist hung over the jungle’s rich green foliage. The blue waters of the Bali Sea sparkled beneath the sun as waves pounded the beach below.
Evolet leaned against the balcony railing and sighed in pleasure. It was hard to believe that just a day ago she had been surrounded by concrete and steel, and now there was nothing but wilderness and ocean as far as she could see.
Perched on top of a cliff that sloped down to a private beach, the Bali Regency Resort combined elegance with the kind of relaxation one could only find at an exotic getaway. Stone villas were scattered among the trees, connected by weaving stone paths and drives. Pergolas beckoned guests to rest beneath shady trees, while wooden signs directed visitors to the spa, the oceanside restaurant and the departure points for tours of nearby temples and even a volcano. Their villa, a two-bedroom mini mansion situated on top of an ocean cliff, boasted a private pool among tall grasses and giant fuchsia-colored blooms, a private infinity pool outside the bedroom Damon had gestured for her to take and even a private cinema. It had been during her quick snooping through the villa that she’d discovered this balcony off of an upstairs library.
She heard the door behind her creak softly.
“This is incredible.”
He came up behind her, hands settling on her waist. She stiffened for the briefest of moments, then forced herself to relax and lean back against his chest. If she closed her eyes for a moment, she could almost imagine they were here for pleasure instead of just business.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
“I am. But,” she added as she turned in the circle of his arms, “we have work to do.”
He leaned down, brushed his lips across her neck. “Yes.”
“Damon...” She put her hands on his chest, intending to push him away. When he kissed her neck, her fingers relaxed against the softness of his shirt. “What are you doing?”
“I’m restless.” He straightened, a frown crossing his face. “I’ve never been restless before a meeting with a client.”
“And taunting me helps you relax?”
A wicked smile flashed. “No. But it does help me think of other things.”
He kissed her, the simple caress quickly turning heated as his tongue teased the seam of her lips and then slipped into her mouth. She returned every touch, savored the taste of him as her fingers wound in his hair.
“All right,” he said as he pulled back. She was satisfied to hear his breathing was just as ragged as hers. “We’ve been asked to attend a dinner with Bengtsson, his wife and the other company at eight.”
Panic suddenly seized her. “What kind of dinner?”
“The kind where you eat.”
She smacked him on the shoulder. “Like fancy? I didn’t bring any clothes like that, just a couple work outfits and some casual wear. I thought we’d be dealing with Bengtsson in a conference room.”
He gently cupped her elbows and tugged her closer. “Is this important to you?”
“It is. I want to represent Bradford Global well. That means looking the part, too.”
This time his smile warmed her in an entirely different way.
“That’s why I brought you with me.”
“To wear fancy clothes?”
He laughed. “No. Because you care. And because you know that bid inside and out. Bengtsson is a good man, but he’s crafty. He doesn’t pull punches, and he enjoys trying to trip people up.”
“Not giving me a lot of reason to feel confident here.”
He squeezed her arms in a gesture of affection that unsettled her more than his kiss had. “Be yourself, Evolet. Be yourself and show Bengtsson an ounce of the knowledge and passion you have for this project, and I know we’ll get it.”
She blinked as the floor dropped out from under her. She knew how much the company meant to him. That he trusted her to this degree with what she had heard multiple people talking about as the biggest project Bradford Global had ever gone after thrilled and terrified her.
“Okay. No pressure. Where does one find clothes around here that would help me go up against a crafty CEO?”
Ten minutes later Evolet browsed through a boutique on the lower level of the resort’s main building. Every now and then she glanced away from the jaw-dropping price tags and out at the sea. She saw the ocean on a regular basis living on the East Coast. But seeing it here, surrounded by so much natural beauty, was a different experience entirely.
